Kafue and western Zambia

To the west of Lusaka and southwest of the Copperbelt is Kafue, a wonderfully unspoiled gem in the heart of Zambia. Just a little larger than Wales, Kafue is home to a large variety of game, dotted around strikingly beautiful and varied habitats.

An enormous area of floodplain and forest, the Kafue is dissected by a multitude of rivers, the largest three being the Kafue, the Lunga and the Lufupa. The Kafue River, the largest, is slow and meandering, a haven for hippo and crocodile, and an essential water source for much of the park's wildlife. The Kafue is home to a proliferation of plains game including roan, sable and oribi.

Far in the north, there is a unique and strikingly different area - the Busanga Plains, a 750-square km area of floodplains which is renowned for its large population of tree-climbing lion and some excellent birding. The floodplains offer some truly exceptional game-viewing in the dry season.